Oct 7, 2016

Iraqi Armed Forces Indicate They May Attack Turkish Troops

The Iraqi government has told Turkey several times that they must withdraw their heavily armed troops from northern Iraq, as they are there illegally. Turkey thus far has ignored the Iraqi government.Middle East Eye has covered this in a recent article on October 06 2016:

Turkish military forces deployed in northern Iraq for a year may be attacked by the Iraqi army if they intervene in the battle to liberate Islamic State-held Mosul, Iraqi officials and commanders of Shia militias told Middle East Eye.

Turkey has deployed hundreds of troops armed with heavy weaponry to the Iraqi town of Bashiqa, 12 kilometres northeast of Mosul, the largest Iraqi city held by IS.

Baghdad has protested several times against the troop deployment and has demanded their immediate withdrawal from Iraqi territory – a request that has fallen on deaf ears.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Thursday that no one has the right to object to the Turkish military presence in Iraq. He stressed that the troops are not an occupying force, adding: "No one has the right to object Turkey's presence in Iraq when the country is fragmented that much.

"It is obvious that the regional administration in northern Iraq and the Barzani administration had asked for [Turkey's] support and sought help from Turkish troops, especially for training their local forces to rescue Mosul," he said, referring to the Kurdish Regional Government.

The presence of Turkish forces is welcomed by most Iraqi Kurdish and Sunni factions, for whom Turkey balances the Iranian presence in Iraq, politicians and analysts told MEE. read more